


Somehow I'll Find the Treasure We Were Looking For

by gingayellow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-24 13:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8374282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: Captain Silver of the Galra Empire is beloved by his soldiers (and hated by the elite officers) for his willingness to employ commoners and add planets to the Empire through (mostly) peaceful negotiations rather than war. He's also very quietly planning to overthrow Zarkon, although he still must maintain the facade of a loyal Captain. All of this is thrown out the window when he meets a young Human man from his forgotten past. [Shiro/Keith, definitely an experiment/work in progress. Part 1 of who even knows how many chapters rn]





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sure.  
Warnings: A little violence in this chapter.  
Notes: I am having a lot of trouble with the Halloween fic I'm in theory writing, so I decided to try writing this weird AU I've been planning for awhile). I guess this kinda counts as a Dark Shiro fic? I cannot commit to a concrete schedule since I'm the middle of grad school, but I'll try to have part 2 up soon. btw, the title is a song from Legend of the Galactic Heroes (specifically "Kid"), a show where the songs are very Shiro/Keith friendly tbh.

 

\--

 

“Captain Silver?” Silver’s assistant, Ensign Juren, smiled at him over the tray he carried. “I’ve brought you some space tea.”

“Thank you.” Silver smiled back, extending his metal arm for the cup. “I’m going to need all the tea I can get if I’m to endure today.”

Juren nodded, yellow eyes wide as Silver sipped his tea. “I don’t understand how you can sip that hot, sir.”

“Neither can I,” Silver admitted. “Perhaps my species prefers warm beverages.” Not that Silver knew anything about his species. Like most non-Galra officers, he remembered nothing before swearing fealty to Zarkon. Everything about him was shaped by the Galra, even his name—he hadn’t wanted to be called that loathsome title he’d ‘earned’ while fighting, to remember all the people he hurt. So on his first day as a starship captain, he’d ask Juren what **he’d** like to call his captain. Juren had sputtered, unused to officers wanting to know what commoners thought… but then, suggested ‘silver,’ since that was the color of the Captain’s hair. He apologized, since that was all he could think of on such short notice.

But enough of that. “Juren, how are negations with Pollux coming along?”

Juren whipped out his tablet. “Their princess wants reassurance that they will retain nearly all of their autonomy, as promised.”

“She’s got it.”

“She also wants to make sure that none of her soldiers are forced to fight for the Galra army.”

Silver took another sip of tea. That was going to be trickier, but he’d rather deal with angry Galra politicians than forcing people to fight in a way they didn’t ask for. Or being forced to fight in the gladiator matches… “We’ll have to discuss that with the galactic governor, but he’s reasonable. Well, for a politician, at least.” He put the tea cup back on the tray. “Tell the Princess that’s something I can’t guarantee in a communication, but I am amenable. We can discuss it at the next meeting.”

Juren fingers flew as he transcribed the message. “Congratulations, Captain.”

Silver frowned. “About what?”

“This is the third planet you’ve conquered, without killing anyone.” Juren beamed at him. “No one in the Empire has done that before.”

“I don’t like to think of myself as a conqueror,” Silver reminded Juren. Even if he was one. But he had to bide his time. Do what little good he might manage, and when the time was right… well, he would be prepared. “More of an ambassador.” He felt himself smile, but it didn’t felt quite right. “An ambassador who just happens to be in charge of a warship.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I admire you.” Juren sat next to Silver—which in theory was against regulations, since Silver was a war hero and Captain, while Juren was a commoner orphan struggling to make an honest living in the Empire as a soldier, but Silver wasn’t known for his adherence to rules. “Most officers relish violence. You don’t.” He gazed at Silver intensely. “You want to bring peace to the universe, just like Zarkon did at the beginning, before he—”

“Enough.” He appreciated Juren’s tea and loyalty, but he did not want to be compared to Zarkon, ever. “How close are we to that tiny planet?”

“We should reach it in five hundred ticks, sir.” Juren looked away for a moment. “Sir, may I ask you a personal question?”

Silver smiled again, but this time it felt much more pleasant. “As long as it’s not about how I need to try iced space tea.”

“The planet we’re investigating is isolated, and primitive.” Juren put his face in his hands, purple ears flicking. “Do you think… I don’t know, but there might be a chance that we’ll meet more Humans?”

Silver did his best to ignore that all too familiar twinge. “I don’t know.” Aside from himself, the Galra Empire had captured two other Humans. Humans that Silver was not allowed to contact. One was (possibly) at a work camp. The other—

**_browneyessadscaredsorrysorryhavetodothiskatiewillhatemeifidontIWANTBLOOD—_ **

“Just a headache,” he assured Juren before he could ‘rescue’ his captain from yet another migraine/half remembered moment. “But to answer your question, it is always possible. Of course, they would have most likely removed me from this mission.” It was poor strategy to ask a Human to conquer his old home world, after all.

Although he would like to meet other Humans. As much as he trusted his crew, their loyalties were to their home world. If there was another Human, perhaps he would finally have a real ally. Maybe some of his plans could finally be implemented as well.

But for now, he needed to ‘open negotiations.’ “Juren, I want Sera to go to the planet and find me an accomplished pilot.” In his experience, pilots knew the most about their world’s aviation, and usually their space faring technology as well. And once he knew this planet’s strengths and weaknesses, he would be in a stronger position when he contacted the planet’s leaders concerning joining the Galra Empire. 

Juren nodded, and then walked with Captain Silver as they completed their duties for the day.

\--

Silver tried to sleep after his duty shift, really. But every time he nodded off, he’d see flashes of color—sometimes black, blue once or twice, but mostly red. And for some reason, seeing the red made him want to apologize, except he had no idea what for, just that he had hurt somebody, except he’d hurt **everybody** , and…

“And enough for now,” he whispered to himself as he got up, took a quick sonic shower, and dressed. He had too many people counting on him to give into distress.

\--

“Sir.” Cera, a sturdily built commoner soldier, saluted him. “I wasn’t expecting you so early.”

“Neither was I,” Silver admitted with a grin. “But you know how nervous I get about opening negotiations with new worlds.”

Cera nodded sagely, her yellow eyes big and thoughtful. “I only saw a little of the planet, sir, but I can already tell they have a lot of people and resources. They’d be a benefit to the Empire.”

“No doubt.” Silver’s armor had no pockets to stuff his hands in, so he settled for folding his arms across his chest. “Did you bring me a pilot?”

Cera bit her lip. “Sort of.”

“Sort of…?”

“Sir, I investigated their bases, and their pilots were competent, but pale in comparison to the Human I found flying in one of their,” and her face lit up like it always did when she discussed something new, “deserts. I think he’s a civilian, but I can already tell that he knows more about their planet’s aviation than anyone else.”

“That’s a lot to figure based off of one observation,” Silver reminded her. But he trusted Cera’s judgement. “Well, is he ready to talk?”

Cera nodded. “But, sir, there are two things you should know.”

“Yes?”

“First, Sendak is on his way to observe our interrogation of the pilot.”

Silver groaned, hiding his face in his metal hand. “Of course he is.” Because there was no way he could anything without Zarkon’s muscle looming over him. “What’s the other thing?”

“I think…” Cera’s voice was very soft. “I think the pilot is a Human.”

Something cold passed through him. “How can you tell?”

“Well, he’s smaller than you and his hair is black, but he still—”

There were shouts, and footfalls, and a tiny figure in red with a knife ran at them. Silver powered up his right arm, but---but he couldn’t, he couldn’t fight him, no, that wasn’t right, this wasn’t **right** , they were supposed to be—

The figure (no, the Human) was about to slit Silver’s throat when Cera shoved her Captain out of the way. The Human sliced her arm open, but she aimed a kick to his gut, and he went down soundlessly.

“No one hurts my Captain,” Cera snarled at the Human.

After quick glances to make sure that Cera (the wound was minor, thank goodness) and the guards were safe, Silver crouched next to the Human. He was just barely awake, and saying something. Silver bent down a bit more, cradling the fellow Human in his arms. “It’s okay,” he assured the Human. “No one is going to hurt you. Tell me what you need.”

He gazed up at Silver, expression somewhere between rage and despair. “Sh… Shiro…” And then the Human slipped into unconsciousness.

“Sir?”

… Silver just needed a moment to breathe, that was all.

“Sir.” Cera gazed down at him, concerned. “Should we put the Human in the brig?”

“No,” he finally managed. “He is our guest, not a prisoner.”

One of the guards, a middle-aged commoner solider name Mirurn frowned, which looked misplaced on his round, friendly face. “But he also tried to kill you, sir.”

“Because he thinks we’re a threat. We have to prove otherwise.” That would be difficult. But there was no other choice.

He finally had another Human, who was apparently also the planet’s best pilot. This was the ally Silver had yearned for.

And maybe, if his inability to fight him had any importance at all, a key to his past as well.

 

\--

 

Final notes: Juren is not so subtly based off of Julien Mintz from Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Why? Because I like adorable beserkers, that's why. ;;


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sure.  
Warnings: Some violence, parental death mentions.  
Notes: I *think* this is going to be a six part story (two parts for Shiro's POV, then a chapter from Keith's POV, then Shiro for two more chapters, then Keith again), but that might change.

\--

“Sir,” Juren said with a bow. He was in his armor, and his blaster was secured to his belt. “I’m ready to escort you to the Human.”

Silver tried (and failed) to hide a smile as Juren followed him down the corridor. “Juren, I’m going to talk to a Human who’s been disarmed and stuck in his quarters for almost half a cycle. I don’t think you need be so quite so prepared.”

Juren frowned in response. “Sir, he tried to kill you. Unarmed or not, that makes him a threat.”

“He only tried to do that because we abducted him.” There was no point in sugarcoating what they had done. “We have to make him see that we want to help him and his world as much as we can.”

Juren followed his captain, but the frown didn’t leave his features. “Do you really think that’s possible? Usually the pilots we interrogate are so scared or excited they tell us what we need to know in the first ten ticks. Based off his past behavior I suspect this one might be,” and Juren struggled for the right word. “Strong-willed, sir.”

“He is that.” Silver closed his eyes for moment, remembering. The Human’s eyes had been cold as steel when he had tried to kill Silver, but bright and watery when he had called Silver by that other name. It was… an interesting contrast, but Silver would have to analyze said contrast later. “But he’s also had time to realize that he is surrounded by tech and people far more powerful than he is.” Silver punched in the access code. He strode inside the Human’s quarters. “I promise you, Juren, this is just another—”

And that was when the Human hit Silver with a chair.

Silver’s armor absorbed most of the impact, but it was still enough to send him crashing to the ground, grunting in pain—and then crying out again when the Human kicked him in the gut. Silver braced himself for another kick, but as the pain receded to a dull ache, he realized that the Human was too busy fighting Juren to keep attacking him.

Silver struggled to stand, taking note of the fight, and when he could help his assistant. The Human was impossibly fast, but so was Juren—one of the reasons Silver had requested that he remain as Silver’s permanent assistant was because Juren could fight in ways that Silver could not.

Juren’s first two punches were blocked, but the last one found purchase against the Human’s jaw. The Human stumbled, but did some odd flip before Juren could grab him—and then kicked Juren in the back. Juren fell to the ground. The Human lifted up his left foot, ready to stomp on Juren’s back—so ready that he didn’t noticed when Silver grabbed him by the shoulder.

“That’s enough.” He powered up his Galra arm not enough to burn the Human, but enough to let him know that Silver could, if he wished.

The Human pulled away, ready to fight—

“The Captain said that’s enough.” Juren’s voice was deadly calm as he pointed his blaster up at the Human.

The Human gave them both the same look he gave Silver when he tried to kill him, but then let his hands fall to his sides.

“You fight like a Galra soldier,” Juren remarked, blaster still pointed.

The Human spat in Juren’s face. The blaster hummed to life.

“All right, new rules.” Silver eyed the Human. “Please sit in that chair at the far end of the room.”

“Why?” The Human gazed at him levelly. For such a violent individual, his voice was surprisingly soft. “So it’s easier to kill me?”

“So it’s easier to talk to you,” Silver promised. “Juren, put the blaster away.”

“But sir—”

“Put it away, and sit in the chair next to me.” 

Juren and the Human sulked and glared at each other, but both obeyed Silver, finding their respective seats.

It hurt to stretch his back muscles, but Silver pulled himself to his full height. He needed to reestablish his authority, and right now the fact that he was taller than both Juren and the Human (who was roughly Juren’s height and build) was all Silver had going for him. He turned his attention to the Human. “Could you please tell us your name and age?”

The Human kept glaring. “I won’t tell you anything.” His voice was still soft, but there was definitely a bite in his tone.

“That is your choice. But do you really want us to keep saying ‘hey, you’ when we wish to address you?”

The Human huffed, leaning back in his seat. “Keith Kogane. I’m nineteen.” 

Silver attempted a smile, but there was an odd pang in his chest at the same time, so it didn’t feel quite right. “That’s a nice name.” That also meant he was Juren’s age as well. “I’m Captain Silver, and this is my assistant, Juren. You’re awfully young to be a pilot, Mr. Kogane. Is it normal for someone your age to have that kind of responsibility?”

There was a long silence. Honestly, that was fine with Silver—after the morning’s excitement, he needed a small break. But finally, Mr. Kogane spoke again. “I was in training at this school. It was kind of like college and space training at the same time.”

“Was?” Juren blinked at Mr. Kogane. “What happened?”

Mr. Kogane grinned, but it wasn’t very pleasant to see. “I got kicked out for insubordination.” He arranged his hands behind his head. “So if you were hoping to get military secrets from me or whatever, that ain’t happening.” 

That was unfortunate. But Silver trusted Cera. She would not have selected Mr. Kogane if he didn’t possess skills that would be useful to Silver. “Perhaps, but anything you would be willing to share with us would be appreciated.”

Mr. Kogane’s pretend smile faded away. “Why?”

“Because we’re explorers interested in your world’s development—”

“Don’t give me that bull,” Mr. Kogane spat. “Explorers don’t kidnap people, or have warships. You’re a conqueror. Don’t insult me by suggesting otherwise.”

The pain in Silver’s chest returned. Mr. Kogane was right. Even if he did it peacefully, he was just making it easier for the Galra Empire to take over the galaxy, giving resources to murderers and monsters…

He was a monster, too.

The pain became almost overwhelming.

“That’s not true!”

Before Silver could do anything, Juren was on his feet, glaring at Mr. Kogane. “I’m not saying the Empire is good. The Empire is why my parents are dead. Our Emperor has…” he looked around for spies, because old habits died hard. “Zarkon has grown corrupt. But Captain Silver is trying his best to mitigate the Emperor’s influence. He wants your planet to join us, not to conquer it.”

Mr. Kogane eyed Juren thoughtfully. Apparently his righteous fury had reached him Silver could not just yet. “Maybe. But what’s stopping this Zarkon’s more violent friends from coming in when your Captain leaves?”

“I make sure the treaties are iron-clad,” Silver managed, barely. He appreciated Juren’s faith in him, but he had to reach Mr. Kogane. Pilot or not, someone this strong would make a better ally than enemy. “But you’re right. I’m sure Zarkon’s ‘diplomats’ are trying to find loopholes right now.” He gazed at Mr. Kogane. His eyes were dark blue, and wild. “But that’s why I’m planning to eventually assume a position of power in the Empire to change that.” These were words that only Juren had heard before. “But I need at least one more conquered planet under my belt before I can worm my way into his inner circle.”

Mr. Kogane’s gaze did not become softer. “I see. You’ve both given me some stuff to think about.” He folded his arms across his chest. “But if you think I’m gonna tell you what I know, you’re mistaken. I’m not a traitor.”

“No one is asking you to be one.” Silver nodded at Juren, who prepared to leave. “We can reach an arrangement, in time.”

Mr. Kogane gave him a sour look. “It’s going to be a long time.”

“That’s fine.” Silver smiled at Mr. Kogane. “Patience yields focus.”

Mr. Kogane inhaled so sharply that Silver asked him what was wrong.

“N-nothing,” he managed,” not Silver’s gaze. “Nothing.”

\--

After that, Silver performed his duties (which unfortunately included reminders that Sendak would be on board soon). It was a slow day, so he found himself with a spare hour in his office, mulling over his conversation with Mr. Kogane.

He’d never met anyone like Mr. Kogane in his life—at least, as far back as he could remember. Juren was right—there was a wildness to the young Human that felt Galra. But he was also smart. And his loyalty to a world that had abandoned him was unusual. He was also the first Human Silver could remember meeting. He couldn’t forget that.

Silver turned on his padd, and opened the image Cera had taken before she’d kidnapped Mr. Kogane. He was on some sort of stranger hovercycle—primitive, but it meant air travel was common for Humans. It was night, so the stars were bright and beautiful, and Mr. Kogane was staring up at them, and…

And he looked sad.

The young Human who had nearly killed Silver twice looked like his heart was going to break. 

Silver knew first-hand how strong Mr. Kogane was, physically and emotionally. Whatever had happened, it must have been severe.

He frowned, stroking his chin with his right hand. “Who hurt you?” Who would want to hurt him?

Silver supposed there was one way to find out.

\--

This time, he knocked before entering. “Mr. Kogane? It’s Captain Silver. I was wondering if we could talk?”

There was a pause, then he heard Mr. Kogane calling out. “Come in.”

Silver unlocked the door, eying the room warily before entering.

“It’s fine. Your butler had some guards remove the chairs after you left.” Mr. Kogane was perched on the bed. “And the bed’s bolted to the floor, so I don’t think I’ll be throwing that at you anytime soon.”

Juren would have scolded him, but Silver laughed at that. So Mr. Kogane had a sense of humor as well. “You seem pretty tough. If anyone could rip that bed up and throw it at me, it’s you.”

Mr. Kogane almost smiled. “So. Why are you here?”

Silver found himself once again wishing his armor had pockets. “I’m not here to interrogate you, but… do you mind if I make an observation?”

Mr. Kogane shrugged. “It’s your ship.”

“You weren’t very happy on Earth, were you?”

“I hated it.” Mr. Kogane stared at his worn out boots. “My mother worked herself to death trying to raise me. After that, I was stuck with an uncle who made me clean his house and kept reminding me how grateful I needed to be that he was permitting me to live with him. I hated everything about it.”

“But you’re still willing to sacrifice everything to protect that planet.”

He eyed Silver warily. “Because there are still a lot of innocent people there. And…”

“And?”

“There was one person who cared for me, aside from my mom. He was.” Mr. Kogane’s eyes were bright as he glanced at Silver, just for a moment. “He was my best friend. He would want me to protect our planet.”

Now there were getting somewhere. Since there were no chairs, Silver opted for leaning against the wall. “What happened to him?”

“He was an astronaut, and was on a mission.” He spoke slowly, like he was in a trance. “But something happened, and my blasted school—they claimed he messed up and blew up their shuttle!” Suddenly, the fire was back in Mr. Kogane’s voice. “He was the best pilot on the planet, and they expected us to believe that he made a mistake that a first-year cadet would avoid! There weren’t even trying to look for him.”

Silver nodded. “Is that why you…?”

“I punched the head instructor when he had the nerve to tell me that I was letting my feelings cloud my judgement.”

“Ah.” Silver wanted to reach out, give Mr. Kogane some reassurance, but he doubted that would be welcome. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help, but I’ve never met any other Humans until you appeared.”

“You look so much like him, though.”

“I.” Silver hadn’t expected that. “I do?”

“Yep,” Mr. Kogane said with a nod. “But he’s… well, I don’t think he’d have the stomach for all the subterfuge you’re doing.”

“Right. Of course.” Silver struggled to keep his tone level. 

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Mr. Kogane huffed. “I don’t one hundred agree with you, Silver, although I suspect your heart is in the right place. But Sh—my friend is the type who’d probably try to convince that Zarkon guy that Earth is peaceful or whatever.”

“I see.” Silver felt himself smile. “That would not end well for him.” Then he sighed. “Well, if I look as much like him as you claim, there’s no need to ask for his description. I’ll have Juren look for him beginning tomorrow.”

“Really?”

“Really. Of course, we’ll need his name.”

Mr. Kogane’s face had lit up in hope, but reason was clouding his features. “Maybe. I need more time before I can make sure I can trust you.”

“Of course. We can talk about it at breakfast.”

“You’re coming back here?”

“No, you’ll be eating with my officers.”

“Seriously?” Mr. Kogane gave him a critical look. “How do you know that I won’t try escaping again?”

“Because ‘my butler’ Juren will escort you there and back.”

“Ah.” Mr. Kogane grimaced. “Guess I’m not escaping tomorrow, then.”

A short bark of laughter escaped Silver. As surly and even wild as Mr. Kogane appeared, there was warmth there as well—his friend must have missed him terribly. Well, maybe there could remedy that.

“Um. Silver. It’s my turn for an observation.” Mr. Kogane got up and walked over to him, gazing up at him. “How did a Human wind up serving the Galra Empire?”

“I was a gladiator who fought well enough for the ‘glory’ of serving.” Silver couldn’t quite look at Mr. Kogane. “After literally fighting to survive for who knows how long, this seemed like a miracle.” But he was still hurting people.

“Do you,” and Mr. Kogane’s voice was so gentle, it almost hurt. “Do you remember anything before that?”

“No.”

“Maybe. Maybe Juren could help with that, too.”

“He’s tried.” But there was nothing except the Champion’s win record. There was no point in losing himself in that again. “I should let you rest. If you need food, just ring for it. Juren will stop by in the morning with clean clothes.” Juren was about Mr. Kogane’s size; perhaps he had a spare uniform, even. “Good night, Mr. Kogane.”

“Just Keith’s fine.”

“But that’s informal—”

“I know.” Mr. Kogane (Keith?) rubbed the back of his neck. “But it’s also my dad’s name, and we didn’t get along, so…”

“Ah, of course. Say no more. Keith it is, then.” Silver smiled, and left.

Keith. 

There was something right in calling him that.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.  
Notes: I meant it when I tagged as "slow burn," everyone.

\--

 

Keith had examined his quarters a dozen times, but had yet to find a way of escape. There were no vents, no locks, no comms that he could hack. He supposed he could try the ‘I’m conveniently dying, could a guard open the door to save me, not because I plan to punch you and run away’ thing, but he was also outnumbered. He needed to make sure he could find (and fly) a shuttle before he could consider that.

Being this patient was something new for Keith. If you were caught, you escaped. If someone was evil, you fought them. Nice, simple logic. But things were more complicated up here, and Keith would have to adapt if he wanted to get out and save Earth.

Shiro would be so proud of him right now. He’d probably put a hand on Keith’s shoulder and assure him that as long as they kept cool and kept their heads, it would work out.

Keith took a break from pondering escape to look out the window. If it weren’t for the fact that he was a prisoner, he would have appreciated the view. Except that Captain Silver kept treating him more like a friend than a captive.

… He looked like Shiro. He was bigger, greyer, and scarred, and had a metal arm. But his voice was deep and warm, and his eyes were dark and gentle. When he’d held Keith, he’d been foolish enough to think that somehow the universe had given Shiro back to him.

But no, Keith reminded himself as he gazed out at the stars. Silver was… well, not completely evil. He seemed to want to do good. But he was still planning to force the Earth to join this Galra Empire—nevermind that Silver himself was Human. Shiro, despite being over six feet tall and second best in the Garrison at sparring (Keith’s experience with fighting with his awful cousins gave him just a bit of an edge), also ugly cried when Keith broke his arm in an accident in his first semester (he’d only heard Keith was in an accident, and feared the worst). He was too gentle, too principled, to work for the Galra. He would have died before he hurt anyone.

(And maybe he had.)

Keith took a deep breath. Even if Shiro wasn’t here, he would keep it together and save the Earth, for Shiro. 

“Mr. Kogane? It’s Ensign Juren.”

Ah. Silver’s butler. “Just Keith is fine. And come in.”

The door swished open, and Juren entered, blaster secured on his belt, and a small bundle slung over his shoulder. For a moment, Keith was tempted to attack him and steal his weapon… but Juren was a skilled fighter, and he wasn’t alone. For now, he’d have to wait. “Good morning,” Juren said formally. “I’m here to escort you to breakfast with the bridge crew today, along with providing you clean clothes.” He set the bundle down.

Silver had mentioned that the last time he spoke, along with possibly looking for Shiro (which was another reason why Keith hadn’t escaped just yet). “What’s on the menu?” His old teachers back at the Garrison would have reminded him that nobody liked sarcasm, but oh well.

Juren, however, smiled a bit, even as he kept a close eye on Keith. “GPRs for everyone,” he said as he tossed the bundle to Keith.

Keith grabbed the bundle. “I don’t understand.”

“Galra Prime Rations—standard food for all starship soldiers. It’s bland, but filling.”

“Sounds like the food back at the Garrison,” Keith replied, digging into the bundle for the new clothes, because he’d been wearing the same stuff for almost two days now… and went cold. 

Juren must have picked up on that, because his brow furrowed in concern. “Keith, what’s wrong?”

“I’m not wearing a Galra uniform,” Keith spat as he threw the uniform shirt at Juren’s face. “I’m fighting against you guys, remember?”

Juren huffed as he removed the shirt. “Yes, Keith. I remember. I witnessed you hitting my captain with a chair.” He frowned, yellow eyes thoughtful. “I’ll be back in ten tocks.”

Keith blinked as Juren left, the door automatically locking behind him. He honestly thought that they were going to fight about it. But since they weren’t going to fight, Keith decided to count the seconds until Juren returned—he wanted to know how tocks compared to Earth time, because any understanding of how the Galra worked was an advantage. He counted to sixty. Then he counted to sixty again.

Ten tocks seemed roughly comparable to ten to fifteen minutes, since twelve minutes later Juren returned, this time with a smaller bundle. “I don’t own a lot of civilian clothes, so there wasn’t much to choose from.” He handed Keith a black shirt and matching slacks, “but you look like you’re my size, so they should fit.”

“Thanks,” Keith said slowly. As he took the clothes, he decided to get a better look at Juren. Like the buff lady who’d kidnapped him, Juren was covered in rich purple fur, and his eyes were lightbulb yellow, with no pupils. His hair was a mix between black and purple, and chin-length. His ears were… well, they were big cat ears on the top of his head. There was no other way to describe them. 

Aside from the cat ears and fur, however, Juren shared several similarities with Humans—bipedal, two hands and ten fingers, and the facial structure was mostly the same (not counting Juren’s fangs). He even smiled like a Human as Keith studied the shirt. “I’ll wait while you change.”

There wasn’t much else to do but nod, and leave for the restroom.

\--

Honestly, the clothes looked like what Keith wore back home. They fit about the same, too. The fabric felt woolen, but not quite thick as what he would have found on Earth. He kept the gloves and his jacket (the ship was chilly; possibly because most of the people working on the ship were space cats and had fur to keep them warm). He ran a hand through his hair, hoping that Silver wasn’t expecting his prisoner to look too polished at breakfast.

“Oh, good, you’re ready.” Juren’s hands were behind his back. “Shall we leave?”

“Yeah.” Keith mirrored Juren’s body language. “Can I ask a question?”

Juren nodded, the door opening for them. “One of my duties is to answer any/all questions you have concerning Captain Silver’s ship and the Galra Empire in general.”

“You don’t seem like the type who would want to conquer planets.” Juren was clearly no stranger to violence, but it had been to protect his captain. Keith could respect that.

“Thanks.” Juren smiled at him again as they walked down a corridor. “I’m not, but there aren’t that many careers options for commoners in the Empire. Especially if they’re orphans.”

“Hm.” Like Keith’s own planet.

“I lucked out. My first captain was Silver.” Juren’s smile broadened as they made a left turn. “Most captains see commoners as servants, but not him. He just… he just seems to have this knack for realizing people’s potential, you know?”

Keith remembered Shiro, the first person to see him beyond an angry young orphan, who saw things in Keith even he didn’t see were there. “Nice to know the guy conquering my planet has a good eye for talent.”

Juren gave him a look. “Are you going to be that charming at breakfast?”

“Probably.”

Juren stopped, one hand on Keith’s chest. “I understand that you dislike the Empire. And you seem like a good person, when you’re not trying to beat me up. But if you say anything that hurts the Captain, I’ll make you wish you were in the ring instead.”

Keith didn’t know what the ring was, but Juren’s tone made it clear they were not a desirable outcome. “You want to protect the person you care for. I get that.”

Juren frowned at him. “If it weren’t for him, I’d be mopping floors for the nobles. Most of us would be.”

“I see. That would have been a shame.” Keith hated this Empire that was threatening his world. He was planning to defeat anyone who served this Empire. And yet… from the way Juren spoke, it sounded like being a soldier for an evil empire was still preferable to whatever the evil empire’s nobles had planned for him. “I’m still not going to help you guys, though.” 

Now Juren smiled again, wide enough to show off his fangs. “Why am I not surprised? But let’s go. The Captain won’t let anyone eat until we’re all gathered, and Fala gets mad if she doesn’t get food.”

\--

“Good morning, Keith and Juren!” Silver smiled at them broadly. “Please, sit wherever you want.”

Juren opted for standing behind Silver—the perfect bodyguard. Silver rolled his eyes, and handed Juren what Keith assumed was a GPR (which looked like a juice packet). Juren sipped primly, eyes on Keith.

As for Keith, he took one of the remaining free seats at Silver’s right side. He shifted in his seat, not quite sure what to do.

“Here.” A Galran woman who looked a little older than Silver handed him a GPR, smiling. “You have to grab one before Fala steals them all.”

“Not true!” A younger Galran woman with her in an elaborate bun said as she grabbed three GPRs. “I left some at dinner last night.”

“You left one at dinner, Fala.” The older Galran woman turned her attention to Keith. “I’m Amue. In theory, I’m the ship’s doctor, but the Empire loves their pods so much, there’s not much for me to do except count GPRs.”

“Oh.” This was a little different than Keith had expected. “Sorry.”

“Well, there’s only so much a commoner widow can hope for. Although I must admit, my Captain came by my sick bay with some interesting injuries to his back last night,” she added with a smirk.

Keith put his full attention into grabbing a GPR before Fala could. 

Silver cleared his throat. “So, Mirurn. How’s your daughter?”

“She’ll be attending classes next week.” Mirurn (who had been one of the guys chasing Keith down when he first found himself kidnapped) helped himself to a GPR. “I’m just glad I was able to afford her tuition. She deserves better than cleaning up after officers on cargo ships.”

Silver nodded. “That’s good to hear. I suppose we should begin proper introductions.” He motioned to Keith with his right hand. “Everyone, this is Keith Kogane. He is to be treated with respect.” After everyone nodded, he continued. “You’ve met Juren and Mirurn, who both assist me with command and security. Amue, of course, is our doctor. Fala is our chief engineer.” He took another sip. “We try to meet every sixth cycle or so to discuss affairs concerning the ship.” Silver paused, and Keith suspected that was because he wanted Keith to say something.

“Clever.” Keith took a sip of his ration. “You bring in people who’ve been hurt by the Empire as well, and construct your breakfast more as a family gathering than people planning to conquer my world so lull me into a false sense of security. Not bad, Silver.”

Juren bristled. Mirurn coughed. Fala focused on her meal. Amue frowned.

Silver was the only one who didn’t change in expression. “There’s nothing constructed about this, Keith. But you are right—I did want you to see that not everyone serving the Empire is interested in bloodshed. As I’ve said before, we want to bring your planet into our Empire peacefully, not conquer it.”

Keith wanted to stand up, and remind them all that the only way to defeat evil was to oppose head on, not through tricks and sneakiness. But Shiro would want him to think of the Earth. And as selfish as it was, this was his one real chance to find out what had happened to Shiro. “Okay. Let’s say that I believe that this ship at least is committed to diplomacy over war. What does the Empire do to Earth when you go one your next mission?”

“I keep tabs on each planet I bring into the Empire.” Silver smiled bitterly. “And as I prove my worth to the nobles, they are less inclined to challenge my judgement.”

Keith nodded. “But if you keep proving your worth, there’s going be more planets than you can keep track of.”

Amue pulled back her dark hair. “Sir, are you…”

“I am. We can trust him.”

Mirurn gave Silver a look. “He’s tried to slice your throat open, and then he hit you with a chair, sir.”

“So we know that he is as opposed to the Empire’s corruption as we are.” Silver turned in his seat so that he was facing Keith directly. “I was lying. I did bring this particular people together for a reason. In one year, I plan to retire from the military and enter the council as a military adviser. Each person here will become a governor of worlds I’ve brought into the Empire. A year after that, once I’ve established myself and rooted out any possible double agents…”

“You’re.” Keith couldn’t believe it. “You’re all planning to overthrow this Zarkon guy?”

“Ideally, yes. We may just have to settle for making the throne a little absolute, but.” Silver sighed heavily. “We have to do what we can. Everyone here has had their life ruined by the Empire, and I refuse to let that continue.”

Keith glanced around, trying to get a read if anyone was a secret traitor… but they all seemed sincere. And considered how charismatic and compassionate Silver was, Keith couldn’t blame them.

He did have one question. “Why are you telling me this? I could betray you to my people or Zarkon.”

“You could. But you seem like someone who hates injustice as much as we do, Keith. And I know the Earth saw you as worthless.” His eyes were so gentle, Keith could almost pretend that he was Shiro. “I would never make that mistake.”

… Okay, this was heading in a different direction than Keith had expected. “You. You want me to join your secret rebellion?”

“You’re a good fighter, and loyal. These are traits that your home world may have ignored, but I wish to encourage.”

“Again, I can betray you.”

Silver laughed softly. “Well, hopefully you won’t.”

“Oh, whatever.” Keith turned away (and pointedly ignored how Amue laughed at him). He hated it, but there were… possible benefits. He didn’t know much about this Zarkon, but he was clearly evil. He wanted to stop him. Juren was prickly, but good and fair. He and his crew deserved better. And Keith… these people had kidnapped him, but they still treated him with more respect than anyone on Earth.

And Silver was a good man who promised to help him find Shiro.

But Shiro would also want him to protect Earth at all costs.

“I’ll consider it. After I see that you really mean what you say.” At least he could buy himself some time.

“A sound move.”

The next sound was literal—a dull thud as ship shook. The console next to Silver pinged red. “Silver here.”

“Sir!” The voice sounded like the lady who’d kidnapped Keith. “O-one of our probes has gone rogue and it attacking our ship!”

“What?!” Silver nodded at Fala, who dashed off, presumably to keep the ship from blowing up. “Let me speak to the pilots on duty.”

“They’re both out—the console blew.” Now Amue was dashing out.

“All right, then. We’ll make do.” He glanced at Keith, eyeing him critically—then grabbed his hand and made a run for it.

“Silver, what the heck?!” Keith tried to break away, but his grip was too strong.

“Keith, you’re a pilot, right?”

“A student pilot who got kicked out of his school!”

“For insubordination rather than lack of skill, correct?”

“Well, yeah.”

Silver kept running, and Keith kept up. “Then if you don’t want to die, you need to be my co-pilot.”

\--

The piloting station was cramped—just enough room for two. Keith stared at the console—the layout wasn’t too different from the sims at the Garrison. He’d have to do some guesswork, but he’d manage. After that, Silver said, “I can launch a missile at the probe, if you can get us out of the way. Think you can do that?”

“Yep.” Just make a nice, sharp turn away from the probe firing lasers at them, then figure out a good spot to stop, and… “Do it.”

The probe was gone in an instant.

“Phew.” Silver leaned back in his seat. “It’s been awhile since I’ve flown a ship.”

…. Silver was a pilot. “How long did you fly?”

Silver frowned, dark eyes clouding over. “I don’t know. The Empire… they did something to my memories when I was a gladiator. Everything before I started serving’s a blur. But I do know I have some experience with fighting spacecrafts.”

“Some experience. You just blew up a probe in one shot,” Keith noted. “So. Next question. Why did you guys have a laser firing probe orbiting Earth?”

“Sendak is why. This tactic has his fingerprints all over it.” Silver’s tone was grim. “He’s a nobleman and officer. He’s also Zarkon’s personal enforcer. If I can’t convince Earth to join the Empire, he takes over.” 

Keith took a deep breath. “So, on top of everything else, you have Galra intrigue to deal with.”

Silver blinked, then laughed. “It’s been a busy few cycles, yes.” Then he did his best to stand up in the tiny room. “Come on. I’ll escort you back to your quarters. Unless, of course, you’d like to finish breakfast.”

“Quarters are fine.” Keith had some thinking to do, and needed privacy. Silver looked like a sadder, greyer Shiro. His piloting skills were comparable to Shiro’s. The leadership and gentleness were the same. But Shiro would never compromise himself like this…

… Except that Silver had just admitted that the Galra had probably brainwashed him. Keith knew Shiro, but if the Empire had done something to him, try to make him into what they wanted…that might explain this sudden embracing of, well, Galra intrigue.

“Silver.” Keith stopped when they reached his quarters.

Silver smiled down at him. “Yes, Keith?”

 _Do you think you’re my long lost friend_. “You’re Human. You don’t owe this Empire anything.” He made his voice whisper soft. “We could escape together.”

He was still smiling, but there was sadness in it. “We could. But what about my crew? The rest of universe?”

“We could take a ship and fight—”

“Two Humans against the Galra Empire is not enough. But don’t worry.” Silver placed his metal hand on Keith’s shoulder. “We’ll find a way to stop them.”

Shiro had touched Keith’s shoulder countless times. And while Silver’s arm was metal, the touch—feather light, fingers tightening just a touch before lingering down Keith’s arm—was just the same.

It was something that was unique to Shiro. No one else touched Keith the same way. Ever.

It was Shiro. Silver was Shiro. He’d found Shiro!

Shiro, was saying good-bye, as the door locked behind him, and for several embarrassing moments Keith was willing himself not to faint.

 _Be patient._ Keith collapsed on the bed. He’d done it. After a year, he’d found Shiro. 

Now he just had to get Shiro to remember who he really was.

 

\--

Final notes: Since I'm awful at creating OCs: Amue is based off of Dr. Beverly Crusher from TNG, Mirurn is based off of Miles O'Brien from TNG/DS9. Also, please note there are a few Go Lion references here. :o


End file.
